The world of stain removal can be challenging – especially when it comes to urine. Taking the time to determine what the best method would be can often depend on what kind of urine stain you’re actually dealing with and where it is.
There are places around your bathroom that are much harder to clean than others, the base of your toilet is one of them. Keeping the base of your toilet clean is essential, which can develop an odor and can be difficult to reach.
Learn how to remove urine stains from the base toilet with this helpful guide, which includes not just how to remove stains but how to prevent them in the first place!
How Does Urine Stain the Toilet?
You may have noticed that your toilet bowl and base have a lot of hard-to-clean stains. These stains are typically caused by urine that has sat there for a long time and dried.
Urine stains the base of the toilet (and inside) because it contains ammonia, which can damage the porcelain of your toilet and make it more porous. As more urine sits in your toilet bowl, more of this ammonia is released and the stain grows larger over time.
The longer the urine sits at the base of the toilet, the more likely it is to leave a permanent stain. This is because when urine dries without being cleaned off, it creates a more concentrated solution with more ammonia than when it was first deposited in your bowl.
This makes it easier for the substance to break down any calcium oxalate crystals on the surface of your porcelain—which causes staining. If urine is repeatedly reaching the base of your toilet and the floor, this can cause a problem.
How Does Urine Get on the Base of the Toilet?
You may notice some stains on the underside of your toilet, usually in the back right corner. These are known as “stray watermarks,” and they’re caused when urine drips off of your toilet bowl’s rim, onto the base of the toilet.
This happens because when you are sitting on a toilet, particularly one without a lid, some of your pee may get trapped and spray straight out on all sides as your stream comes rushing out.
If you don’t buy particular cleaning products, the only way to prevent urine from reaching the bottom of the toilet bowl is by flushing.
For the outside base, try to get as much urine into the water of the bowl, rather than peeing on the sides. Urine doesn’t have any way to stick around once it falls from a vertical position, so all you have to do is flush it with water and it will disappear instantly.
How To Remove Urine Stains from the base of the Toilet
Removing stains from the base of your toilet is quite simple and easy to do. The trick is to keep on top of your cleaning and clean your toilet regularly. Here is a basic step-by-step guide on how to clean your toilet thoroughly to keep those pesky urine stains at bay.
Step 1: First, you’ll have to dampen the area around the base of your toilet and the floor with a damp cloth. This helps to remove the first layer of urine and makes the rest of the cleaning easier.
Step 2: Use a wet sponge or cloth with a cleaning agent of your choice – make sure it is specifically for cleaning toilets. Wipe the area around the base of your toilet and let the chemicals sit for a few minutes.
Step 3: Get a dry and clean sponge or cloth and wipe off the cleaning agent. Be sure to remove any dust or dirt that may be accumulating in those hard-to-reach areas, as urine can cling to these spaces.
Step 4: If there are urine stains on the base of your toilet that are difficult to scrub off, use a toothbrush to scrub off the stains and get into all the edging around your toilet – urine can seep here and make it smell.
Natural Remedies for Toilet Stain Removal
The toilet is one of the toughest surfaces to clean in your home, and it’s one of the most important. If you have kids or pets, chances are you know how hard it can be to keep everything looking fresh and clean.
Luckily, there are some easy ways to remove stains from the toilet and the floor using natural ingredients. You don’t need harsh chemicals or expensive store-bought products to keep your toilet looking great!
Here’s what you need:
- 1 cup baking soda
- Fresh lemon juice (or a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water)
- White vinegar (enough to fill your toilet bowl)
The Method
Toilet stains can be annoying, but they don’t have to be!
If you’re tired of cleaning up rings around your toilet bowl and other unsightly stains, try these natural remedies.
- Quickly remove hard water stains by filling a bowl with equal parts vinegar and warm water. Wipe the mixture over the base of the toilet and floor with a cloth or sponge. Let it sit for an hour.
- Use lemon juice to remove lime build-up or dirt from your toilet base, this also works in the bowl! Just add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of boiling water as a cleaning agent. The acidity in the lemon juice will dissolve deposits without damaging the porcelain, and it smells good too!
- Clean hard-to-reach areas with a toothbrush that has been dipped in baking soda mixed with a little bit of water—this is great for removing tough stains on the inside and outside of your toilet.
- Get a damp cloth and wipe the area clean and let it dry naturally.
How Do I Prevent Urine Stains around the base of the Toilet?
There are only two ways to prevent stains on the base of your toilet and floor, and that is to clean regularly and focus your aim when going to the toilet.
Urine stains occur when urine drips down the sides of the toilet bowl and onto the floor. It is impossible to prevent this completely, but ensuring that you aim for as much of your urine to go into the bowl as possible will help.
On top of focusing on your aim, you should clean your toilet regularly using any of the methods here, both inside and out.
Make sure to not just clean the inside and outside of the toilet, but also around the base and the floor.
You should aim to clean your toilet at least twice a week but aim for three times if you can. You can also invest in a rug that sits at the base of your toilet to catch any tray leaks before they hit the floor.
Keep Your Toilet Clean for a Healthier and Happier Bathroom
The toilet is one of the hardest things to clean in modern bathrooms. The toilets that we use on a day-to-day basis can feature a wide range of materials, but porcelain is the most common so always choose products for cleaning porcelain and make sure they are specifically for toilets.
Natural cleaning solutions like baking soda are great all-rounder product that works regardless of what kind of toilet you have.
Regularly cleaning your toilet will not only keep it looking its best but it will also be safer. To avoid staining, do not use harsh chemicals and always wipe from front to back. Clean your toilet 2 -3 times weekly for the best results.